SALAD VEGETABLES 165 



hoe between the rows, and pull alternative plants when 

 supplies are required. 



Seedlings planted out in the hottest weeks of the sum- 

 mer are apt to fail owing to the dryness of the ground and 

 the heat of the sun. In their case it is impossible to 

 adopt the above methods for promoting quick growth. 

 They should be planted between the lines of peas, or 

 alternating in rows with big-leaved beetroots, or even 

 around the foot of a fruit tree, anywhere, in fact, where 

 shade is afforded. Manure water and plain water 

 must, of course, be supplied as before. 



Sow small quantities of seed fortnightly from January 

 to March in boxes of light friable loam kept at a tem- 

 perature of 60, and transplant, according to require- 

 ments, from March to May. Also sow very sparingly in 

 the open, fortnightly, from March to August in the per- 

 manent quarters, thinning out the seedlings to six inches 

 apart when three leaves appear. Sow again in October 

 in shallow boxes kept in a cold frame, and transplant 

 late in February if the weather permits, or select a few of 

 the best seedlings and place singly in pots of good loam 

 at Christmas and keep at a temperature of 60. If 

 sowings are made in this way a supply will be obtainable 

 during practically the whole of the year. 



Cos Lettuces the tall slender varieties need tying up 

 when the hearts begin to form. Bind them two-thirds 

 of the way up with raffia, but not twine. Cabbage 

 Lettuces the round flat varieties do better than cos 

 lettuces where the soil is poor, in shady localities, and 

 when grown in pots. 



Varieties worth noting are : Mammoth White (cos) and 



